Process for the reduction or hydrogenation of organic compounds, especially the fatty acids and their compounds.



K. H. WIMMER & E. B. HIGGINS. PROCESS FOR THE REDUCTION 0R HYDROGENATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, ESPECIALLY THE FATTY ACIDS AND THEIR COMPOUNDS,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1912.

1,081,182. Patnted Dec.9, 1913.

' NITED sTATEs PATENT oEFIoE.

. KARL HEINRICH wIMMER, or BREMEN, GERMANY, AND ERIC BERKELEY HIGGINS, p or WALLASEY, ENGLAND.

rRoCEss FOR THE REDUCTION R HYDRCG'ENATICN 0E ORGANIC COMPOUNDS,

ESPECIALLY. THE FATTY ACIDs AND THEIR oMroUNDs.

oeinsa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Maflch 12, 1912. Serial No. 683,294.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, KARL HEIXRICH VVIMMER and ERIC BERKELEY HIGGINS, subjects, respectively, of the German Emperor and the King of the British Dominions, residing, respectively, at Bremen, Germany, and vVallasey, Cheshire, England, have invented a certain new and useful Process for the Reduction or Hydrogenation of Organic Compounds, Especially the Fatty Acids and Their Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

It is known that when unsaturated .organic compounds are treated with hydrogen in the presence of catalysts-consisting of finely divided freshly reduced metals, an addition of hydrogen to such unsaturated organic compounds can be effected. These catalysts require special preparation.

The present invention has for its object to avoid the necessity of the special preparation of the catalysts and considerably to facilitatethe treatment.

According to the invention the reduction of organic compounds such, for example, as

fatty acids and their glycerids is effected by hydrogen or gas mixtures containing hydrogen and by catalysis in the employment of organic metal salts such as the formates, acetates or lactates of copper, ir0n,'nickel or cobalt. These organic metallic salts can be easily and cheaply produced. They can also be purchased in a pure form, and they require no special preparation before theiruse as catalytic agents; while moreover the impurities contained in the reducing gas employed in the treatment do not render these compounds ineifective; Furthermore, when the substance to be reducedis a liquid it can be easily emulsified with or be brought in a state of extremely fine subdivision into admixture with the catalytic compound;

In the processes hitherto known, in which finely divided metals are employed in the treatment of unsaturated compounds, it has been necessary either to employ continuous and intense mechanical agitation to obtain admixture of the catalysts and the liquid, or to distribute the metal over the outer surface of contact carriers such as pumice stone, kieselguhr, etc. In the present process the compound to be reduced is mixed with the organic metallic salt or a solution thereof heated to a suitable temperature, and

' filtered.

either a stream of the reducing gas is passed through the mixture, or the latter is subected to an atmosphere of the gas .in a closed vessel, while Contact between the gas and the mixture or emulsion may be assisted by agitat on; Under these conditions the saturation takes place comparatively quickly and the spent or partly spent catalytic agent can be removed by simple filtration after the operation.

In carrying the invention into efiect according to one example, 100 grams of cotton v seed oil are mixed with 1 to 5 grams of nickel for'niate (in concentrated aqueous solution or in the form of powder). The mixture is warmed'and a stream of hydrogen gas passed into the apparatus. During this time the temperature of the mass is raised to from 17 0 to 200 degrees C. The duration of the treatment depends upon the quantity of the catalytic agent employedr The-reduction may be carried out until theunsaturated compounds are quantitatively transformed Into saturated ones. The mass is' then For the present process the metal salts, both normal "and acid, of the monoand polybasic carboxylic acids and hydrocarboxylic acids of the fatty groups are mostsuitable, for instance the formates, acetates, propionates, butyrates, lactates, glycollates, oxalates, malonates, succinates, tartrates and citrates of nickel, cobalt, iron and copper.

The process may be modified in various Ways. Thus, for example, the oil may be emulsified with the catalytic agent and simultaneously heated and have hydrogen or gas mixtures containing hydrogen passed through it in a suitable emulsifying a pas ratus;-or the oil mixed with the cata ytic agent may be brought into Contact in a fine state of division wlth the hydrogen, as in' a manner that has already been proposed. The reaction may also be accelerated by using the hydrogen under pressure or by impregnating the oil with hydrogen and ratenteaneaaioia.

then bringing it into intimate contact with the catalytic agent.

The annexed drawing is a side View in section of an apparatus suitable for carrying out our process.

generator (not shown) and is forced by the .Y The gas is drawnby a pump a from a p pump into the pressure equalizer l5. Thence I with a funnel f for introduclng the mixture of catalyzer and oil. The mixing apparatus contains an agitator chiefly consisting of a longitudinal shaft provided with a series of revolving beaters g. In the base of the mixing apparatus is mounted a heating appliance h or any suitable type. If Water gas is used as the reducing agent, the ortion of the gas, which has not been absorbed in the mixing apparatus, passes through a pipe 2' to a gas-holder or collector is, and is then used for heating or motive power purposes.

What is claimed is:'

1. The process for the reduction of organic compounds by a reducing gas and by catalysis, which consists in treating such a compound with an organic metal salt and a reducing gas, substantially as described.

2. The process for the reduction of organic compounds by hydrogen and by catalysis, which consists in treating such a compound with an organic metal salt and. hydrogen, substantially as described.

3. The process for the reduction of organic compounds by gas mixtures containing hydrogen and by catalysis, which consists in treating such a compound with an organic metal salt and gas mixtures containing hydrogen, substantially as described.

a. The process forthe reduction of fatty acids by a reducing as and by catalysis, which consists in treating such an acid with an organic metal salt and a reducing gas, substantially as described. I

I The process for the reduction of glycerids of fatty acids by a reducing gas and by catalysis, which consists in treating such a compound with an organic metal salt and a reducing gas, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of the subscribing witnesses.

KARL HEINRICH WIMMER. ERIC BERKELEY HIGGINS.

Witnesses as to Karl Heinrich Wimmer;

WILHELM STRUP, AUGUST Burrs.

Witnesses as to Eric Berkeley Higgins:

WM. Pmncn, H. WILLIAMS, JOHN MCCORMICK. 

